Hi,
Every day I get messages from people all over the world who are suffering from some ache or pain, and many times the pain is preventing the person from living a full life. This is the case of the message below, but this one was so broad in the causes that I wanted to share it with you in case you (or someone you know) may have one or more of the problems experienced by this man.
I will try and keep this short, but basically I have suffered with a dull ache for 15 years now. The areas worse affected are the base of my skull moving down into my neck down into my left shoulder, across into my left hip and then down the calf, so basically my whole triple warmer meridian, I get muscle spasms in my left chest too. I am a golf pro but just cannot play any more due to the pain. I have weak rhomboids, poor posture and am aware that while the back side of the body is weak, the front side muscles are tight. I can manage the pain but sometimes it just gets too much, I have suffered from severe anxiety as a result. What could you recommend as a solution please. I am willing to give anything a try.
The answer is long, but there are so many things happening that it would be a lot longer if I went into detail about each point, so please bear with me.
Answer:I think it will help you a lot if you do an internet search for each of the muscles I’m mentioning here. Also, it will help if you understand that when a tight muscle is pulling on a bone it will hurt at the insertion point, just like pulling your hair at the end will cause your scalp to hurt. I think you have several repetitive strain injuries happening all at the same time. It will also help if you read about repetitive strain injuries so you’ll have a better idea of why they cause muscle/joint pain. I suggest you also read the sections titled “Muscles and Pain” and “What’s Happening Exactly.”
You have several different things going on, first I’d look at the trapezius, levator scapulae, splenius capitis, and splenius cervicis muscles because they each either originate or insert at the base of your skull and cervical vertebrae. When the muscles are tight they will be pulling hard on the bones and causing pain in the area. Also, it is common for the trapezius and levator scapulae to also refer pain out to the shoulder.
I totally agree with you that the muscles in the front of your body are tight and causing the weakness in the back of your body. You have spasms in your chest and your rhomboids are weak, plus you have poor posture – which I suspect means your shoulders curl forward giving you a rounded-back posture. This is very likely caused by a muscle called pectoralis minor. The pecs minor originates on your ribs and inserts into a tiny bone of your shoulder blade called the coracoid process. When the pecs minor contracts you pull your shoulders forward (round-back) and your rhomboids are being stretched, which will cause them to lose power and appear weak. Also, as the coracoid process is being pulled down it is putting pressure on the nerves that go to your chest, upper back (rhomboids), across your shoulder and down your arm into your hand.
Your hip all the way to your foot is most likely caused by several muscles, but primarily the psoas, iliacus, and quadratus lumborum muscles because each of these muscles will cause your pelvis to rotate forward and down, therefore causing the posterior pelvis to press up into your sciatic nerve. When your sciatic nerve is being impinged it will cause pain from your hip all the way to your foot, including tingling and numbness.
I know this all sounds so confusing, but the more I think about it, the more logical it becomes, which again makes me wish you were somewhere near here so I could confirm my thoughts and treat each of the muscles. I’ve worked with many thousands of people and I’ve seen it over and over…when you release the tension in the muscles the pain in the joint/bone disappears. If you already have my book, “Treat Yourself to Pain-Free Living” I suggest you begin with the Julstro Protocol and then do all of the treatments for the neck and shoulder. You’ll get an even better explanation of how the muscles in your pelvic area and your quadriceps (front of your thigh) are causing so many problems.
It is my belief that you’ll be able to treat each of these muscles and get back out on the golf course again!
Wishing you well,
Julie